harry potter deathly hallows part 1 review

Next year’s second round should make for a fitting climax. The end is nigh and it’s round one to the dark side in what has been a thrilling fight so far. With Lord Voldemort once again in the ascendant, teenage wizard Harry Potte. Non-fans won’t be converted by the Deathly Hallows but by pulling our heroes out of Hogwarts the barriers have been taken down and you feel like anything could happen. Fantasy adventure starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. The pace does slow after a fantastic first hour (there’s too much ‘tent time’ with our three leads) and there are at least two key deaths that take place off-screen, which dilutes their impact. Deathly Hallows Part 1 has some great pieces, but the wandering of the middle act really kills the tension it has. Yates' direction is extremely assured, as he gives the film a somber and stirring tone that dominates the.

There are laughs (‘multi-Potters’), a thrilling air and road chase and the spectacular effects include a clever animation puppet sequence reminiscent of Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Ultimately, the strengths of The Deathly Hallows Part 1 far outweigh the weaknesses. Series newcomers Bill Nighy (Rufus) and Rhys Ifans (Xenophilius) also fit in perfectly to the Potter universe. Radcliffe, Grint and Watson are still showing slight improvement in the acting stakes but not surprisingly given the tone, it’s the bad guys who make their mark.įiennes, Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix) and Peter Mullan (Yaxley) are terrifically evil and a scene with the baddies round a table makes for a delightfully sinister opening. His hyperactive camera swoops and tilts again to add to the wonder and he even uses a jerky, hand-held style in some scenes. There are open wounds, deaths, a ‘human cleansing’ element, a sombre Alexandre Desplat score and some genuinely tense scenes to make for the most grim adventure yet.ĭavid Yates directs his third consecutive Potter film and he’s brought a more than steady hand and visual flair to proceedings. The last couple of Potters have been dark but this one has a pitch-black tone. What started out as fluffy fun for kids has come a long way from the first movie’s Sorting Hat. It’s far from flawless but entertains for most of the two hours, 20 minutes running time.īut parents be warned.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is one of the best entries in the series. The decision was made to split J.K Rowling’s novel into a two-part big screen outing as there’s much to resolve. One of the most successful film and book franchises will come to an end with next year’s Deathly Hallows: Part 2. The evil Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has taken control of Hogwarts so our three heroes decide to finish mentor Dumbledore’s work and find and destroy the rest of the Horcruxes to defeat him. HARRY Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is the penultimate movie in the long-running series about the boy wizard Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson).

Harry potter deathly hallows part 1 review